Paul
banner
paulwj.bsky.social
Paul
@paulwj.bsky.social
into Jesus. Episcopalian/Anglican.
Postulant for Holy Orders in MN.

Coffee fan. Sometimes practitioner of the Darkroom Arts.
Reposted by Paul
We had close to 250 people at our interfaith vigil which is about 100 more than we can comfortably fit. Folks were packed into pews, standing in the narthex, listening on in the parish hall, and sitting on folded chairs in the aisles. It was beautiful, but I’m still so upset we had need to gather. 🕯️
January 25, 2026 at 3:47 AM
Reposted by Paul
Reminder: All it would take to end the murder of American citizens by an untrained government goon squad is 16 Republicans in Congress voting with Dems to defund ICE (or 23 to impeach and remove Trump — 3 in House & 20 in Senate). That’s it. 23 Americans can vote for the public and end all of this.
January 24, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Reposted by Paul
How many Minnesotans need to die before they leave?

ICE needs to end this surge of agents now. It was clear two and a half weeks ago. It is especially clear now. Get out of Minnesota.
January 24, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Reposted by Paul
And, Lord, please, somehow, turn their guns into plough shares. And turn their hearts into flesh. Please.
January 24, 2026 at 4:15 PM
"Edina, of all places..."
I am the previous Rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Edina, which is just down the hill from City Hall. I'm grateful to hear this, and know that many will be surprised that Edina, of all places, has made this reaffirmation in this particular moment.
In response to federal agents on a lawless rampage through the Twin Cities area, the Edina, City Council reaffirmed their support for the universal declaration of human rights, which right now is a radical anarchist, domestic terrorist kind of thing to do.
January 23, 2026 at 4:51 AM
Reposted by Paul
Grateful for the Living Church's coverage of what's happening here in the Twin Cities, and the impact of the ICE operation on Messiah, St. Paul, in particular. We covet your prayers for the most vulnerable in our community in the days ahead ⚓
January 21, 2026 at 9:44 PM
We're doing all this work to help people understand their rights...

and ICE agents are getting told that those rights don't exist.
January 21, 2026 at 10:43 PM
Getting the word out in the S'gaw Karen language!
January 21, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Reposted by Paul
Lay leaders are monitoring entrances and exits at Messiah Church to protect immigrant members and will soon deliver groceries to those who fear detention.
#TheLivingChurch #News #ICE #Minnesota
Minnesota Church Responds to Immigrants’ Fears - The Living Church
Lay leaders are monitoring entrances and exits at Messiah Church to protect immigrant members and will soon deliver groceries to those who fear detention.
ow.ly
January 21, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Paul
According to Bishop Andrew Waldo, who was a priest colleague of mine in the Episcopal Diocese of MN and is now retired there, this terrorized man, ChongLy Thao, is a cousin of one of the priests at the Hmong-majority Episcopal congregation in the Twin Cities. Oh, and Thao is indeed a U.S. citizen. ⚓️
ICE broke into Minnesota home, dragged barely clothed man into snow
A Minnesota man told Reuters on Monday he felt fear, shame and desperation a day after ICE officers broke down his door with guns drawn, handcuffed him and dragged him into the snow wearing shorts and...
www.reuters.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:49 AM
Reposted by Paul
Hundreds of high schoolers in Northfield walked out of school and to our town square in support of our immigrant neighbors and against the ICE occupation of our state. I’m so unspeakably proud of them (especially of the head organizer who is one of the teens from my parish.) 🕯️
January 15, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by Paul
The Hmong are here because they fought for the US in a war we lost.
"“They specifically asked me if I knew where the Hmong families lived on my street & in the neighborhood.” Lugert-Thom responded, “I don’t know anything about that” & she said they then asked, “Well, what about the Asian families?”"

"“I was a bit shaken & a bit shocked of what I was asked to do.”"
A St. Paul resident says federal officers knocked on her door and asked her to identify Hmong and Asian households in her North End neighborhood last week.
January 14, 2026 at 2:57 PM
While chanting Ps 10 in WI my heart was with my family and community in MN.

"[The wicked] lurk in ambush in public squares... they murder the innocent; they spy out the helpless... they seize the lowly and drag them away...

Rise up, O Lord;
lift up your hand, O God;
do not forget the afflicted."
January 13, 2026 at 11:28 PM
@404media.co I'd love to see you dig into this!
These peaceful observers I spoke to had ICE show up at their homes in what they see as attempts at intimidation. ICE has somehow been accessing Minnesotans' private data in likely violation of state law, according to privacy advocates.

share.google/J00lpWzPzOu2...
Privacy advocates: ICE using private data to intimidate observers and activists
MPR News has looked into reports that federal agents have accessed private data to track and intimidate anti-ICE activists since the immigration crackdown surged in Minnesota in December. Privacy advo...
share.google
January 13, 2026 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Paul
People who aren't in Minnesota might not know that if you drive or walk past pretty much any school, there's going to be a group of people, parents and childless, standing guard to make sure the kids are safe from feds. It's pretty remarkable. And very disturbing. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Twin Cities students walk out, decry ICE as surge continues
Hundreds of Twin Cities high school students walked out of school Monday to protest federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Officials are increasingly concerned about high absenteeism in some sc...
www.mprnews.org
January 13, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Reposted by Paul
This is older than DHS.
January 13, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Reposted by Paul
Since I'm old, I remember when the Patriot Act, creation of DHS and ICE happened after 911 and thinking it could go badly some day.
April 18, 2025 at 2:20 AM
One of my fav collects
O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature
January 6, 2026 at 10:34 PM
True!
And I'd say also applies to an increasing number of Christians who wouldn't identify as progressive generally, but know their bible/theology/church history enough to be able to tell when things aren't right.
January 2, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Reposted by Paul
As is my custom, I’m keeping a holy hour until midnight and will then ring in the new year with the church bell and a hearty sung Te Deum.

Give us peace, O Lord, and in your compassion, make all wars and violence to cease.

Happy new year, folks! 🕯️
January 1, 2026 at 5:16 AM
My wife hand threw this Hario v60 coffee dropper for me for Christmas.
She really knows me.
December 25, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Reposted by Paul
War is over. If you want it.
December 25, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Reposted by Paul
Merry Christmas from perhaps the cutest lil church in the world! 🕯️

Join us in person in idyllic Northfield or online at www.allsaintsnorthfield.org

Christmas Eve mass is at 8:00pm
Christmas Day mass is at 10:30am (with @paulwj.bsky.social preaching)
December 24, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Dang it. I hid my Christmas present for my wife too well and now I can't find it.
December 24, 2025 at 2:40 AM
The Prophet Samuel would like a word.

Or actually, he would rather not be disturbed at this time.
IN DEPTH | If you could speak to your dead grandmother forever, would you?
If you could speak to your dead grandmother forever, would you?
www.independent.co.uk
December 10, 2025 at 8:16 PM